How to Cope with traveling

A small group poses in southern Italy with the trulli houses of the Puglia region.

By Baker Maultsby

Published: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, May 20, 2013 at 5:19 p.m.

He’s not the travel agent you call when you want to book a honeymoon cruise. And you wouldn’t go to him to set up a standard itinerary of art museums in European cities.

But if it’s an off-the-beaten-path dip into culture and history you envision, Spartanburg resident Chumley Cope may be your go-to guy.

Cope is a historian and former teacher – a background that informs his approach to travel. A good teacher wants his students not just to read the textbook, but to also work with first-hand sources and explore their subject with a sense of adventure.

Whether it’s taking off in a van through the Italian countryside or small towns in South Carolina, he aims to visit sites that would remain hidden from view on most tours. Often, historic and cultural treasures reveal themselves unplanned.

“I would say that people are often surprised by what they see,” Cope said. “Maybe they have frequently driven past a place on the interstate but never driven ‘over there’ or visited that little town whose name they’ve seen for decades. They might be surprised by stories that connect that town to where they live – the arch style or economic activity.”

Like Cope, Spartanburg resident Jeffrey Willis is a historian and an educator. As a Converse College professor, he took dozens of student groups to study and travel in Great Britain. Now retired, he has gone on a number of trips around South Carolina with Cope.

He described the experience this way:

“On a trip to Charleston, we visited some of the great churches in the city. But we also went up the Cooper River to see some wonderful old Colonial-era churches. I went on a trip with Chumley to Abbeville and McCormick counties, and we went into the woods to see a spot where there had been a Cherokee Indian massacre…That was really off the beaten path.”

As owner of Explore Up-Close, Cope sometimes handles only the booking of group tours. But he prefers to be part of the trip, playing the roles of tour guide, gracious host, and participant.

Like a professor who enjoys running a small seminar class, Cope believes in the value of the shared experience, group discussion, and immersion in the subject matter.

Speaking of a recent trip in the Southeast, he said, “I didn’t use a GPS. So, I’ll stop and ask directions. That way, you end up having conversations with people. And (travelers) will think, ‘Hey, that’s a nice guy,’ or, ‘This is a neat place.’ It’s almost always positive.”

The business grew out of Cope’s enjoyment of spontaneous travel with his wife, Joan, and their four children. They would set out on trips around the region, heading in a general direction but with no specific destination in mind. As his website puts it, “(The) mysterious road never loses its intrigue; and the stranger rarely seems very strange.”

Cope’s clients have included retirement communities and schools, but also families and groups of friends. Running one’s own business – especially a somewhat atypical travel company – has its challenges. But Cope is creative. He gives talks about history and travel and is always on the lookout for viable partnerships.

Charlie Gray, director of continuing education at Wofford College, leads the Foothills Civil War Roundtable – a group of history enthusiasts who gather for discussions, presentations, and short travel experiences. Gray and Cope have worked together several times.

“I think we make a good team together. We have visited some really unique places,” Gray said, adding, “Chumley really puts a personal touch to it. I don’t know anyone who takes better care of travelers.”

Even if traveling in Europe, Cope likes to keep groups small and nimble. He will reserve a passenger van and, for example, explore rural France. The travelers might find an old farmhouse that’s representative of a period of European history or drive into unique geographical areas. Cope will stop in a small village and encourage group members to pick an interesting spot for lunch and spend a while exploring on their own.

“I like opportunities to meet people,” he said. “It’s fun to see the commonplace but with new eyes, to see things in full context.”

<p>He's not the travel agent you call when you want to book a honeymoon cruise. And you wouldn't go to him to set up a standard itinerary of art museums in European cities.</p><p>But if it's an off-the-beaten-path dip into culture and history you envision, Spartanburg resident Chumley Cope may be your go-to guy.</p><p>Cope is a historian and former teacher – a background that informs his approach to travel. A good teacher wants his students not just to read the textbook, but to also work with first-hand sources and explore their subject with a sense of adventure. </p><p>Whether it's taking off in a van through the Italian countryside or small towns in South Carolina, he aims to visit sites that would remain hidden from view on most tours. Often, historic and cultural treasures reveal themselves unplanned.</p><p>“I would say that people are often surprised by what they see,” Cope said. “Maybe they have frequently driven past a place on the interstate but never driven 'over there' or visited that little town whose name they've seen for decades. They might be surprised by stories that connect that town to where they live – the arch style or economic activity.”</p><p>Like Cope, Spartanburg resident Jeffrey Willis is a historian and an educator. As a Converse College professor, he took dozens of student groups to study and travel in Great Britain. Now retired, he has gone on a number of trips around South Carolina with Cope. </p><p>He described the experience this way:</p><p>“On a trip to Charleston, we visited some of the great churches in the city. But we also went up the Cooper River to see some wonderful old Colonial-era churches. I went on a trip with Chumley to Abbeville and McCormick counties, and we went into the woods to see a spot where there had been a Cherokee Indian massacre…That was really off the beaten path.”</p><p>As owner of Explore Up-Close, Cope sometimes handles only the booking of group tours. But he prefers to be part of the trip, playing the roles of tour guide, gracious host, and participant. </p><p>Like a professor who enjoys running a small seminar class, Cope believes in the value of the shared experience, group discussion, and immersion in the subject matter. </p><p>Speaking of a recent trip in the Southeast, he said, “I didn't use a GPS. So, I'll stop and ask directions. That way, you end up having conversations with people. And (travelers) will think, 'Hey, that's a nice guy,' or, 'This is a neat place.' It's almost always positive.”</p><p>The business grew out of Cope's enjoyment of spontaneous travel with his wife, Joan, and their four children. They would set out on trips around the region, heading in a general direction but with no specific destination in mind. As his website puts it, “(The) mysterious road never loses its intrigue; and the stranger rarely seems very strange.”</p><p>Cope's clients have included retirement communities and schools, but also families and groups of friends. Running one's own business – especially a somewhat atypical travel company – has its challenges. But Cope is creative. He gives talks about history and travel and is always on the lookout for viable partnerships.</p><p>Charlie Gray, director of continuing education at Wofford College, leads the Foothills Civil War Roundtable – a group of history enthusiasts who gather for discussions, presentations, and short travel experiences. Gray and Cope have worked together several times. </p><p>“I think we make a good team together. We have visited some really unique places,” Gray said, adding, “Chumley really puts a personal touch to it. I don't know anyone who takes better care of travelers.” </p><p>Even if traveling in Europe, Cope likes to keep groups small and nimble. He will reserve a passenger van and, for example, explore rural France. The travelers might find an old farmhouse that's representative of a period of European history or drive into unique geographical areas. Cope will stop in a small village and encourage group members to pick an interesting spot for lunch and spend a while exploring on their own. </p><p>“I like opportunities to meet people,” he said. “It's fun to see the commonplace but with new eyes, to see things in full context.”</p>